CRITICISM
There is this beautiful saying that - you can approach Life either as a creator or as A critic.
If you approach life as a Creator - you are constantly busy, creating some thing new. You are criticizing your own work - as it proceeds and improving it. You are therefore left with very little time - for criticizing the work of others. Even if you do sometimes criticize - it will be like a teacher's advice to his disciple - and highly effective, constructive and improving the work of the other person.
Your criticism -of your self and of your disciples - is not personal - but is limited to the assessment of the creative work. In the Half full - Half empty mindset - you are one who is always looking at the Half full side of the Glass. The Creator is a born optimist.
Your criticism -of your self and of your disciples - is not personal - but is limited to the assessment of the creative work. In the Half full - Half empty mindset - you are one who is always looking at the Half full side of the Glass. The Creator is a born optimist.
But, if you are one approaching life as a critic - the opposite becomes equally true. You are left with very little time for any creative effort. You are constantly looking for mistakes, blunders, oddities, stupidities etc - in the creative works of others. Some times, your criticism may be constructive, criticizing the work of others for improvement. But, the very habit of being a constant critic, makes you criticize the person too - apart from his work most of the time.
Yes. every creator needs a constructive critic - who first appreciates the Creator's work and its positive angles - and then points to the improvements that are possible in this work - and in the future works. Yet, the role of even a constructive critic - is secondary - in the society, compared to the Creator. Unless, the creator exists, the critic, even the constructive critic, is almost useless to the society. In the Half full - Half empty mindset - a constructive critic must constantly make conscious effort to look at the Half full side and also the Half empty side of the Glass. The constructive critic needs to constantly remind himself to be an Optimist.His optimism is - in the ability of the creator - whop can transform the society to the Better - but he himself feels incapable of such effort.
The worst of the 3 categories is the critic - who is not constructive. In the Half full - Half empty mindset - this sort of critic is always seeing and is able to see only the Half empty side of the Glass. He is the ultimate pessimist. He has no suggestions to offer to the creator. But, he has plenty of things to find fault with - in the creator's work, and in the creator himself.
From the time, he wakes up in the morning, each day of life sees him criticizing all the people around him, all the systems around him and always feels that nothing in the world can become better. If some thing becomes better, some thing else has already become far worse. He feels neither he nor any others are capable of doing any thing positive for the world. The world is a bad place to live in. He wants others to listen to him - but has nothing positive to offer. His presence or his proximity is enough o drive others nuts. One must either shun his presence - or be very curt to stop him in spoiling the efforts and moods of others.
If you find a creator mindset in your proximity - or within you - go all out to encourage that mindset. We must go one step further in saying this. Each Individual must become a creator in some field of human endeavour. God has created us in his own Image exactly for this purpose. Fell God's hands and God's mind in you and attempt your creative effort. Wherever you find a creator - who is doing any positive work, and making a positive contribution to the society - encourage him in all possible ways.
But, of course, some constructive criticism is also essential. Otherwise there will be very little improvement. A parent must offer constructive criticism - to his children. A teacher must offer it to his students. Every citizen must offer constructive criticism to the leaders he elects to carry on the process of Governance. These, as you can see, are DUTIES - which are essential.
Unfortunately, today, children are becoming unwilling to take even constructive criticism of their parents and Teachers.
Political leaders are increasingly becoming incapable of accepting the constructive criticism of citizens. Constructive criticism will be in the form of praise when one does the right thing or good thing. But, it will be censure when one doesn't do the right thing, or, when one does the wrong thing.
We must learn to accept such constructive criticism - and offer it when it is due from us.
But, each of us must desist from destructive criticism - which is purposeless - which turns the other person into a negative mindset; which creates ill will and enmities in the society.
A Government or an Institution, working for public and customer benefit - must make extra efforts to seek criticism - and be prepared to receive both constructive and non-constructive criticism
A Government or an Institution, working for public and customer benefit - must make extra efforts to seek criticism - and be prepared to receive both constructive and non-constructive criticism
If this is understood - progress of the society and of the Individuals is - ASSURED. Our society will be a Great Place to live.
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